TV’s “Breaking Bad” Star, Aaron Paul, Cast In DreamWorks Studios’ NEED FOR SPEED

Two-time Emmy winner for his breakthrough performance on the television series “Breaking Bad,” Aaron Paul has been cast to play the lead in DreamWorks Studios action film NEED FOR SPEED. Paul’s other credits include “Smashed,” “The Last House on the Left,” “Mission: Impossible III,” and HBO’s “Big Love.”

DreamWorks acquired the feature film rights to EA’s popular video game franchise earlier this year. George Gatins and John Gatins developed the original story with George writing the feature’s screenplay. The screenplay is based on the “Need for Speed” series, but is not based on an individual game. Produced by John Gatins, Mark Sourian and EA’s Patrick O’Brien, the film adaptation will be a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise. In “Need for Speed,” the cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat.

Scott Waugh (ACT OF VALOR) is attached to direct, and the project has a target production start date for early next year and a theatrical release on February 7, 2014.

“Need for Speed” is one of the biggest and most successful franchises in the video game industry, having sold more than 150 million units worldwide and generating an estimated $4 billion in revenue. The next blockbuster release in the series is “Need for Speed Most Wanted” – the most socially-connected game of this generation, launching October 30, 2012.